Vanderbilt, or The Commodore, as he was often called, was raised in Port Richmond, a primarily Dutch village on Staten Island, New York. His parents, Cornelius and Phebe Vanderbilt, came from nothing. "Low Dutch" is what many called their ilk.

Vanderbilt made his millions by controlling two burgeoning industries: the steamboat industry and the railroad industry.

When he died, Vanderbilt's estate was estimated to be worth $100,000,000. That was back in 1877. In today's dollars, that would be approximately $2.3 billion, making him the richest man in America, at the time.

But, in the early 1830s there were many very talented people who were building a new, prosperous nation. So, what made Vanderbilt so unique?

Cornelius Vanderbilt possessed many good habits that elevated him above his peers:

He lived below his means and avoided debt

Vanderbilt inherited this trait from his mother — spending less than you earn and then saving and investing the difference. He controlled his money, investing and spending it wisely while looking for value in every dollar he spent. Vanderbilt grew his empire without debt. He never borrowed money. Not once. Almost until the day he died, whe as never accepted by the wealthy class because he never flaunted his money or his wealth.

He put his money to work

Vanderbilt invested his profits in steamboats, he lent his money to other businessmen, he bought real estate, and he purchased stock in private corporations. He personally invested millions in building Grand Central Station, one of the largest train depots in the world.

He was forward-thinking and loved competition

Vanderbilt embraced new technologies, such as the steamboat, and new form of business, such as the corporation. He was not afraid to take calculated risks. Toward the end of his life, he even put his entire estate at risk in an effort to save one of his many investments: The Union Trust.

Vanderbilt also loved to compete. He battled his rivals as if at war, slashing fares and doing what he could to drive them out of business. Vanderbilt never quit on his dreams. Several times, this would put him on the brink of personal bankruptcy. But he was persistent and unrelenting.

He forged relationships and partnerships with other success-minded individuals

Vanderbilt spent his lifetime building relationships with other success-minded individuals - individuals who would be able to open doors for him that were closed.

He sought out Thomas Gibbons, a very wealthy, successful individual in the steamboat industry and spent the first decade of his life as Gibbons' employee. He learned everything about business from Gibbons, who mentored and molded him. Gibbons was the only employer he would ever have.

Vanderbilt understood that in order to succeed, you must build a team of disciples who buy into your vision. To this end, he enlisted as partners financier Daniel Drew, his devoted son-in-law Horace Clark, and his hard working son, William when he struck out on his own. He then mentored them for many decades. Together, they helped him build his empire.

He listened carefully, but refused to be swayed by criticism

Vanderbilt was considered to be a man of few words. He rarely talked. He let others do the talking and preferred to listened to what they had to say, but he never allowed the criticism of others to affect him or alter his decisions. He was also considered a very good judge of character. He embraced individuals of high character and went to war with those who were dishonest or untrustworthy. Vanderbilt's word was considered as good as gold. He never went back on his word. Everyone who did business with him found him to be a man of high integrity.

He stayed healthy and took time to relax

Vanderbilt was a light eater, did not drink alcohol, and was physically active all of his life. Vanderbilt was often described as the calm in the storm. He never panicked and was always in complete control of his emotions, especially during the most turbulent of times. Vanderbilt would often vacation or relax in Saratoga Springs every year. It helped him to clear his head and recharge his batteries. As a result of his good habits, he remained healthy until the last year of his life, when he died at age 82.

Success requires many moving parts. But those moving parts all fall under one category - good daily habits.